For eyewitnesses of apparent living pterosaurs

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Biological Marfa Lights

How do Marfa Lights relate to biology, in particular to sightings of living pterosaurs? Not by a direct correlation, such as an eyewitness discerning wings while looking at a Marfa Light through a telescope, at least not yet. But there are indirect correlations.

While reading Hunting Marfa Lights (for the second time, it’s a great book), I was struck by an account of a flying “ML” (mystery light) that Mr. Bunnell witnessed in November of 2002. The light was flying where there was no road, and fast enough that it could not have been any vehicle off-road. He noticed that the light went out two or three times, remaining off for a few seconds at a time. What caught my attention was Bunnell’s impression (on page 67) of the reappearance of the light: It “would begin with a brilliant flash of light as if the ML was somehow recharged while in an off state.”

How telling! That reminded me of the light from the ropen of Umboi Island, Papua New Guinea, and the flying lights seen by the British biologist Evelyn Cheesman, on the mainland, west of Umboi. Those lights are very limited in how long they remain on, only a few seconds. We believe the flying creatures recharge their intrinsic bioluminescent capacity during the off-state; it could be the production of a secretion involved with the bioluminescence. (When I say “we,” I refer to my associates in cryptozoology, not Bunnell or Cheesman.)

A newspaper reporter seemed to have rejected my opinion about Marfa Lights, because of my apparent lack of relevant scientific training, at least when compared with the education of Mr. Bunnell. She missed the point.

. . . since Ms Feldman has written an article, giving an obvious opinion (that Marfa Lights are not caused by bioluminescent flying predators), what scientific training has she had? Has she ever seen any Marfa Lights? Her indirect experience (interviewing those with certain experiences) do not cause us to question her opinions; why should my indirect experience (interviewing those with certain experiences) cause her to question my opinions? She seems to have missed the critical point that my position as a writer is similar to her position as a writer: We both interview persons, then write about what we have learned. The main difference may be this: I have years of experience researching reports of living pterosaurs and flying lights that are coorelated to some of those apparent pterosaurs (and a few months experience researching Marfa Lights); Ms Feldman has a few days of experience researching Marfa Lights.

How critical is this to the possibility that Marfa Lights are caused by bioluminescent flying predators! Some eyewitnesses see living pterosaurs and a few see glowing pterosaurs.

. . . a lady who was on a cruise in the Caribbean, with family members. Her daughter brought her onto the deck one night, anxious for her to see what was flying over the sea. The mother . . . saw two apparent pterosaurs, glowing and flying back and forth . . .

What is the best hiding place for what may be living pterosaurs near Marfa? It’s probably not the caves that are said to be scattered around the old volcanic landscape, nor the suspicions of ranchers who don’t like trespassers, nor the dark of night, nor low flights of the predators. What best hides possible pterosaurs near Marfa is Western dogma about dinosaurs and pterosaurs becoming extinct millions of years ago: universal extinction dogma.